One year on from the tragic night of June 14th and Grenfell survivors, their families, friends and the wider community are still fighting for justice.
Speaking at the Stand Up to Racism national conference last October Lucy Masoud – Fire Brigades Union said, MPs should be “dragged” from parliament to see Grenfell Tower’s shell as a reminder of how their decisions caused the disaster.
She was joined on a panel with Diane Abbott MP and Bellal El Guenuni a Grenfell Survivor. The disaster reflects the social cleansing of the area which works hands in hand with institutional racism.
El Guenuni told the packed session:
“During the fire, something amazing happened. I would say a good 60 to 70% of people trying to save people that night were actually youth. Youth from black heritage, youth from Asian heritage and a lot of Muslim youth were there risking their lives to save people from the tower.
“No matter what religion you were from, what colour you were from, they were there trying to save people.”
You can read the full Guardian article here.
This has been the response throughout the year, the local community from all backgrounds has stepped in where the government has failed. They have ‘offered shelter, food and trauma support’ as Lowkey (local rapper) said to the last demonstration.
The size of the demonstrations has remained consistent and angry. Their silence has been deafening, ending always in view of the tower, which stands as a symbol of the continuing injustice.
Stand Up to Racism has been there at every demonstration echoing the demands for justice but also for an amnesty to everyone who was living in the tower. We must keep up the pressure and let the government know that the movement will not go away until justice has been served.
Everyone should make every effort to attend this demonstration and share it as wide as they can.